We now know how much the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and 1LE package will cost. Let the outrageous markups begin!
The most powerful factory Camaro ever made, the 650-horsepower ZL1, will cost a minimum of $62,135 in coupe form and $69,135 in convertible form. With a hardtop and the 10-speed automatic, the ZL1 will hit 60 mph from a dead stop in 3.5 seconds, putting it neck-and-neck with the V10-powered $162,900 Audi R8. When it passes the quarter mile mark, which takes 11.4 seconds, the ZL1 will be flying at 127 mph. The Ferrari 488 GTB is about a second quicker, but costs…you know…Ferrari money: $249,150.
Chevrolet’s track-focused 1LE package will cost a minimum of $4,500. That’s the price of adding the Camaro SS’s FE3 suspension to the V6-powered Camaro LT coupe. With that, the LT can get up to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and hit 0.97 g in corners.
It’ll take $6,500 to equip the 1SS coupe with the ZL1’s electronic limited-slip differential, FE4 suspension, and Magnetic Ride dampers. Sixty comes in 4.2 seconds – the same time it takes the $122,600 Porsche 911 Targa 4S with a manual gearbox to hit the same speed. Cornering forces top out at 1.02 g. Bringing it to a stop from 60 mph requires 107 feet – five fewer than the 1LE-equipped Camaro LT needs.
*Prices include destination charge, but exclude tax, title, and other dealer fees
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
